Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-29
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passed through streets where the shops
were beginning to be opened in the bright
morning sun; people called to me but l
never stopped; leaped over gates and
chased through the rank grass OF the
lonely meadows. There was dead still
ness at first in the air, and Thought had
escaped; but presently sound, at first no
louder than the bay of watch dog, seemed
to gradually swell into the clauor and
cry Of vast pursuing mob Icould hear
voices and the tramp of feet; the wre.ches
had dogs with them; they were tracking
me. How strange that among them
seemed to especially distinguish the voices
of DR.. Pledgett and his daughter Nellyl
What had they to do there, 1 saw the
mob breaking through distant orchard
and thought I had beaten them of like
so many wild ours, but suddenly in front
OF me at turning could not avoid, ran
three men. They point to dead, bleeding
man lying on the ground. dash at them.
There are blows that fall crashing on my
head and then there is great darkness
When l awoke it was soft spring
morning; l was in bed in q room had
never seen before. Oh, so neat and trim!
A goldfnch was singing pleasantly at the
mlnOOW anu IAcIc were OOututtS VIZ
lets on the white cloth of the dressing
table. A bright, rosy cloud rippled over
the sky; CHEEKY fire sent quivering up
the chimney its little yellow flames and
made coy, mournful sound with its
putting jets of gas. rose in bed by a grea:
effort, for 1 was very weak, and looked at
myself in the great toilet glass that faced
the bed. I saw not myself but pale,
hollow faced, gaunt old man, whose
shaven head was bound in wet bandages.
1t looked Ike that of Lazarus when he
assembled those steps that led from the
inner darkness.
Suddenly the door opened and who
should enter but my friend DR. Pledgett,
1t was his house I was in. He smiled
when he saw me once more conscious:
but shook his finger when he observed
that I was trying to speak.
The rest may be told in a few words.
The long and the short of il was that
had had brain fever. The disease had
broken out the night of the charity din
ner, as my doctor had long expected The
severe mental labor of that case of
''Wormwood VS.. Widgett" has been too
much for my brain. Pledgett had, in
deed, as he sat opposite me at dinner that
eventful night seen premOnitory symp-
toms Of the disorder and had tried 10 fol-
low my cab. By my friends wish I had
been sent to his house for the sake of
greater attention.
OF my crazy doings that night the less
said the better. They ended. however, /
may mention, in my upsetting the cab
myself (for l had insisted on driving) in a
dangerous place and then stabbing the
cabman, whom I had mistaken for a
mailman. Luckily the wound, though it
bled severely, had not proved dangerous.
As for myself, | had then fled from the
cabman, who had tried TO take me safely
home, seeing ] was Geliricus; and being
found in a field near Chiswick. was driven
to hospital from whence DR.. Pledgctt,
hearing Of my detention, took me to his
own house.
| soon recovered. thanks TO my kind
doctor, but, alas. having before lost my
senses, ] now lost my heart. spent my
long days Of convaleScence in wandering
in the garden with Nelly, in practicing
duets and reading Tennyson. | soon
found it impossible to be happy without
her.
Tomorrow week, Nelly Pledgett, / am
proud and happy TO say, becomes Mrs.
Osbert Wilkinson, thanks to my imagin-
airy mad cabman and the yellow cab No.
1,G1G.-W alter Thorn bury.